A Look Back in Time

Look back in time: June 22, 2008

Cindy SchwarzSunday,
June 22, 2008

80 YEARS AGO: 1928

Invitation to prayer group

VERO BEACH — A novel attendance contest conducted by the First Baptist Church attracted 159 people to the prayer meeting Wednesday night.
Twenty-teams of two people each were organized by Pastor P. T. Taylor last Sunday and requested to invite friends and acquaintances to the Wednesday night services. The most successful solicitors were Mrs. T. W. Hewlitt and O. J. Henderson who induced 21 people to attend the meeting.
Fred McEwan and Mrs. J. M. McCully brought 20 attendants. The result of the contest was arrived at after the regular services conducted by the Rev. Taylor and aroused lively interest among those present.

70 YEARS AGO: 1938

City refunding plan discussed

VERO BEACH — Status of the city's proposed refunding program was outlined and a general discussion conducted in the matter at a special meeting of the council and citizens last Friday night.
The City Hall auditorium was packed to capacity with interested citizens who listened to various phases of the refunding program and the Wilcox Municipal Debt Adjustment Act. Several speakers expressed their views of the matter.
60 YEARS AGO: 1948

Hilton Hotel official here

VERO BEACH — Robert B. Witwer, real estate representative of the Hilton hotel chain, gave Vero Beach the once over last Monday and indicated that he saw great possibilities in the beach and Miracle Mile sections, if properly developed.
While not making any commitment, Witwer inferred that his organization is "looking over Florida cities" for possible hotel sites. The Hilton chain operates the Palmer House and Stevens Hotel in Chicago and other hotels.

50 YEARS AGO: 1958

Typewriter, shotgun stolen

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Did anyone living in south Vero Beach have a typewriter and shotgun stolen from his residence between Nov. 1 and 8, 1957?
A young prisoner from Broward County, housed at Raiford State Prison, recently told prison officials he was passing through Indian River County sometime during that week and stole two such articles from a dwelling south of Vero Beach. He pawned them in two different shops in Fort Lauderdale, according to his statements.
Prison officials are trying to trace the truth of this statement, but can find no record these losses were reported with either the Vero Beach Police Department or the Indian River County Sheriff's Department.
40 YEARS AGO: 1968

County leaves regional council

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Wednesday, Indian River County formally withdrew from the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council with the written blessing of its representatives. The county left the controversial group based on a proposal that it creates its own long-range planning authority.
County Commissioner Donald Macdonald moved, seconded by Commissioner D. B. McCullers, that the County Commission officially notify the regional council it is withdrawing after five years of participation at a cost to the county of almost $24,000.
"Without a trained planner, the county cannot take advantage of all the valuable information the council provides," reasoned Macdonald.

25 YEARS AGO: 1983

Reward proposal for teachers

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Specifics of a proposal to reward outstanding Indian River County teachers were released at Tuesday's Indian River County School Board meeting.
The bylaws and articles of incorporation of a foundation to administer the program will be discussed and voted on at a future meeting, after the board has had a chance to study the documents.
Under the proposed articles of incorporation, a nonprofit corporation will be formed with the intent and purpose of recognizing teachers.
The committee to select the recipients would be appointed by the corporation's trustees. The first trustees probably would be the original donors or sponsors for the chairs.
10 YEARS AGO: 1998

Subsidized housing may slow

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — "I think these will probably be the last," Indian River County Community Development Director Bob Keating said, referring to the three elderly affordable housing complexes still being built.
With those three — The Club at Vero on State Road 60, River Park Place on Indian River Boulevard and Lindsey Gardens off 40th Avenue — the county will have a dozen apartment complexes with some type of subsidy, with no less than half built in the past several years.
The building boom will stop, officials said, because the state is no longer targeting Indian River County as an area in dire need of affordable housing and so is no longer offering tax credits to developers.
The state targeted Indian River County in 1996 and 1997 as an area of need and began offering the tax credits.
FIVE YEARS AGO: 2003

Dock, bridge ready for public

SEBASTIAN — A city-owned dock and bridge were recently installed on the lake's west side near Kildare Drive and Conover Avenue.
Last week, Summerlin's Seven Seas Inc. of Ft. Pierce finished building a 6-by-25-foot dock and a 10-by-80-foot pedestrian bridge to the island, said Linda Kinchen, administrative supervisor for the city Public Works and Engineering departments. The project cost the city $31,000.
They say the bridge provides better pedestrian access to the island.
ONE YEAR AGO: 2007

Planners may restrict church land

VERO BEACH — The city Planning and Zoning Board discussed the possibilities of creating new rules for how churches use their property.
Restrictions could include limiting the number of nonreligious events a church can have, the times and dates of the events and requiring churches to have a parking management plan for the event.
The changes will apply to all places of worship, including mosques, synagogues and churches.
No decision was made at the meeting and any proposed changes will have to go to the board for a public hearing and the City Council for approval.